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Motivation is the biggest key to learning how to play a musical instrument

Posted by Stefan on October 12th, 2011 with Comments Off on Motivation is the biggest key to learning how to play a musical instrument

Learning how to play an instrument is not really that much different to learning how to do anything else. You don’t need an extraordinary amount of talent, skill and ability. You do need proper motivation and an excellent teacher if you want to learn how to play properly.

The biggest misconception about learning music is that children learn faster than adults.

This is simply not true. Children tend to pick things up quite quickly, but remember they have no external stress in their lives. Most children are not concerned about making money, paying bills, investing money, looking after their family, booking a holiday and planning for the future.

Children are simply occupied with the task at hand. (which is why it’s sometimes a good idea to imitate their behaviour – instead of fretting about the future!)

The constant overload of information makes it more difficult to learn as an adult. It’s not at all impossible to learn successfully, but proper motivation is needed and that’s the job of your teacher.

The Pareto Principle states that 80% of all your best results comes from 20% of your efforts.

In learning music, I believe that 80% of your success comes from your state of mind.

Being motivated to take action and learn certain passages, fingerings or difficult compositions will make you learn the seemingly impossible much faster than anything else.

Without motivation many people give up trying to learn how to play an instrument or they stop as soon as they hit a brick wall.

The big question is what is the right way to motivate?

This is where psychology plays it’s role.

Motivation in terms of learning music is so much more than just teaching music. It’s listening to the needs of the student, listening to the desires and even encouraging the student when he or she had a bad day at work.

Basically if your state of mind is depressed, you will not perform well in anything that you do regardless of your best efforts. If your state of mind is motivated and lifted up, then you will take that extra step forward that’s needed to help you learn a composition, play with both hands together, sing a high note or play chords on the guitar in perfect succession.

Motivation is therefore the biggest ingredient to your success in learning an instrument. (or succeeding in any other area of your life)

With excellent motivation and coaching you will become the musician that you’ve always wanted to be. For some this might be to play basic chords on the guitar to accompany their singing for others it might be to play the most complex compositions on the piano.

It really doesn’t matter. What matters is that YOU achieve YOUR GOALS and DREAMS!

The only way to achieve them is with proper motivation and training. It’s not to say that it’s impossible to achieve this by teaching yourself, but a good mentor will make you learn so much quicker and be that extra fuel that makes you go so much further (with less pain!)

Let’s recap: Motivation is key!

Yes that’s right motivation is key and when you learn an instrument 80% of your success comes from your state of mind (motivation) while 20% of your success comes from the actual practicing of your instrument.

Make sure you learn music with someone who can motivate and inspire you to learn and take your instrument as far as you choose to go! Remember it’s about YOUR GOALS and YOUR DREAMS.

I hope this article will help you understand the science behind learning music (or anything else). Whatever you do, make sure you have a constant supply of motivation!

Stefan Joubert is one of the world's most renowned guitarists. He is also a great rock singer having recorded his own grunge rock album at the age of 22 called "Megalorealist". He is well known for his touch guitar techniques. He is also a master instructor and currently accepting students into his guitar, piano, singing and bass classes.

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